Charith Asalanka and his band of spinners helped the Sri Lanka under 19s beat the Afghanistan under 19s by 33 runs in their ICC U19 Cricket World Cup group B encounter played at Sylhet District Stadium on Saturday.
Richmond College and Sri Lanka U19 skipper Asalanka led from the front, scoring a match-winning 71 and picking up 2 wickets with the ball to be named man-of-the-match and help his team secure a quarter-final spot.
Earlier, the 18-year old won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry surface. The opening pair of Avishka Fernando and Kavin Bandara started off positively, with the former scoring a quick-fire 27-ball 30 before he was run-out, courtesy a direct-hit from deep square leg, to end the 48-run stand.
Left-handed Bandara fell to the bowling of Shamsurrahman when he was looking good on 20 and a few overs later, the off-spinner dismissed the one-drop batsman Kamindu Mendis for 13 as the Lankans reached 77 for 3 at the 20-over mark. The Afghan spinners tightened the screws and took wickets at regular intervals to hurt the Lankan batting charge.
The in-form vice-captain Sammu Ashan and Vishad Randika fell in the 27th over to the left-arm spin of Zahir Khan; half the Lankans were now back in the pavilion. Ashan (3) was trapped right in front of the stumps while Randika (0) was clean bowled around his legs.
Skipper Asalanka batted with sheer determination and maturity to carry his team to a par score. Asalanka and his school mate, Wanindu Hasaranga added an invaluable 62-run stand for the 6th wicket before Shamsurrahman took his 3rd wicket of the match.
Right-arm seamer Karim Janat picked up the prized scalp of Asalanka in the 42nd over when the left-hander sent a miss-hit straight to long-on after what turned out to be a match-winning 91-ball 71 which had 8 fours and a six. None of the tail-end batsmen made a significant contribution as the Lankan innings was closed down to only 184. Off-spinner Shamsurrahman was the best bowler for the Afghans taking 3 for 19 from his 10 overs.
Chasing a moderate 185 runs to win, the Afghans lost their opener Naveed Obaid early when he was undone by a great in-swinger by fast-bowler Asitha Fernando. The Lankans employed the spinners from the beginning of the Afghan innings and continued to choke them.
Leg-spinner Wanindu bagged the big wicket of the Afghan skipper Ihsanullah when he was trapped right in front of the stumps for 23 while captain ‘Marvelous’ Asalanka rolled his arm over and dismissed Ikram Faizi and Muslim Musa in consecutive overs to peg back the Afghan chase.
Double-arm spinner, Kamindu Mendis chipped away with three wickets in the middle-overs to torment the Afghans furthermore. Lower order batsman Waheedullah Shafaq tried to resurrect the Afghan innings with a run-a-ball 47 including 4 fours and 3 sixes but he was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Damitha Silva in the 45th over as Sri Lanka sealed a memorable, close win.
Sri Lanka U19s will take on Pakistan U19s on the 3rd of February in Mirpur to decide who tops the group.
Sri Lanka U19 – 184 all out in 48.1 overs: Charith Asalanka 71, Avishka Fernando 30, Kavin Bandara 20, Wanindu Hasaranga 20, Shamsurrahman 3/19, Zahir Khan 2/36, Karim Janat 2/37.
Afghanistan U19 – 151 all out in 44.5 overs: Waheedullah Shafaq 47, Karim Janat 40, Kamindu Mendis 3/36, Charith Asalanka 2/18, Damitha Silva 2/22
